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Blog/Guide

How to qualify for startup credits, and avoid the usual rejections

By the CreditBase team · · 2 min read

Most startup programs reject applications for the same handful of reasons, and nearly all of them are written in the eligibility rules before you apply. Of the 630 live programs on CreditBase, at least 62 need a referral from a partner, 63 cap the funding you have raised and 75 cap the age of your company.

The five conditions that decide most applications

1. A partner referral

Many of the largest offers, especially cloud and AI credits, are only given through a partner: a VC firm, an accelerator, an incubator or a bank. Without one you usually get a smaller self-serve tier, or nothing at all. Before you apply, ask your investors, accelerator or startup programme which providers they partner with; many have a perks portal with the referral links.

2. A funding cap

Programs aimed at early-stage startups often stop at a given round or amount raised: "pre-Series B", "Series A or earlier", "less than $5M raised". A few work the other way and are only open to funded startups. Check the stage before you apply, and do not round your numbers down.

3. A maximum company age or size

Many programs, and most government schemes, are only for companies incorporated within a set number of years, or below a revenue or headcount limit. The date that counts is usually your incorporation date, not when you started building.

4. Being a new customer

Software discounts are usually for companies new to the product, and most credit programs give the same credits only once.

5. Proof that the company is real

Reviewers look for a working website, an email address on your company's own domain and, for many programs, a registered company. Applying from a personal email address, or with a placeholder website, is one of the most common reasons for a rejection that has nothing to do with the rules.

Check before you apply

  1. Write down your facts once: country, incorporation date, amount raised, revenue, team size, and which programs you have used before.
  2. Read the eligibility line of each program, not just the headline value. Values are "up to" amounts, and the top tier usually has the strictest rules.
  3. Apply where you clearly qualify first. A clean approval on a smaller tier is worth more than a rejection on a bigger one.
  4. Keep track of what you applied to, with dates and amounts, so you can follow up and avoid applying twice.

CreditBase flags these conditions on every listing. With a free account you can save a short profile, and each listing then shows whether you are a good fit, a maybe or unlikely, with the reasons. You can also track up to five applications from your plan.

No company yet?

You do not need one for everything. Students and makers can claim plenty of tools without a registered company: see students and makers, and free tools for students. Most clouds also run free trials open to individuals, covered in free cloud credits for startups.

Programs most founders can claim

The largest programs open to founders right now:

Values are “up to” amounts and terms change: confirm on the provider’s page before you rely on them.